Rumors of a looming shake-up at the Department of Homeland Security are intensifying, with speculation mounting that President Donald Trump may replace Secretary Kristi Noem with outgoing Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
White House officials on Monday forcefully rejected claims that Trump is considering removing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Still, a swirl of reporting, anonymous accounts, and political maneuvering has fueled persistent questions about her standing.
The rumors first gained traction after a December 6 report asserted that Trump “is indeed considering moving on from Noem,” according to three former Department of Homeland Security officials cited in the piece from The Bulwark. Those officials claimed Noem had recently taken on “less of a role in directing department memos,” though they also cautioned that Trump’s views on staffing are fluid.
That report surfaced weeks after an earlier mention in a CNN story that identified Noem as a potential candidate for a year-end Cabinet turnover, citing internal frustration with Corey Lewandowski, her longtime adviser who now serves at the agency with broad informal authority.
White House officials pushed back sharply Monday. “Everything about this is total Fake News. Secretary Noem is doing a great job implementing the President’s agenda and making America safe again,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, emphasizing that the current reporting is ” simply… not true,” per Fox News Digital.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also dismissed the claims, reportedly saying, “I can’t speak for the President, but I’ve seen more credible reporting on Big Foot.”
Still, the speculation has persisted in part because of the emergence of a potential successor: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, who leaves office in January.
Anonymous sources quoted in a MS Now report described Youngkin as a “top contender,” though Youngkin has not publicly commented.
Youngkin, who in February issued Executive Order 47 directing Virginia law enforcement and corrections officers to assist federal immigration authorities, has overseen a state immigration policy that mixes muscular enforcement with continued support for programs such as the Office of New Americans, a state-run refugee resettlement and integration initiative. His administration also maintained agreements that allow certain state officers to act as federal immigration agents.
Noem, by contrast, consented in December 2019 to accepting refugees into South Dakota under Trump’s executive order allowing states to opt out of refugee resettlement. “Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, the strengthened screening process for refugees entering the United States can give South Dakotans increased confidence that those entering are coming for the right reasons,” she said at the time, per Argus Leader.
As governor in June 2021, Noem also deployed up to 50 National Guard troops to the United States–Mexico border for a two-month mission, and, as Homeland Security secretary, she has become the public face of Trump’s most controversial domestic initiative: a sweeping push to carry out mass deportations nationwide.
Trump has repeatedly praised Noem in public and private settings, according to people familiar with his discussions, as cited in CNN’s reporting toward the end of November. But internal tension over Lewandowski’s role, including alleged staff firings, administrative leave requests, and micromanagement, has led to friction with some in the West Wing.
One senior official previously told CNN, “The President loves Kristi. He loves the job she’s doing,” but acknowledged that concerns about Lewandowski’s influence had been brought to Trump’s attention.
Lewandowski was once Trump’s 2016 campaign manager and has reportedly played “grab-ass” with Noem at Trump events in 2023, per The New York Post.
Noem is married, and when her office was asked about her relationship with Lewandowski, a spokesman reportedly directed the New York Post to a statement that read: “This is so predictable that you would attack Governor Noem less than a week after she endorsed Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States.”
The December 6 report, which intensified the latest round of speculation, suggested that Trump might want “fresh blood” to help execute mass deportation plans rolling out early next year or to shift public perception of the policy.
Youngkin’s allies have reportedly indicated he is open to serving in the Trump administration but is more interested in an economic or business-oriented role than in leading the nation’s immigration apparatus. Trump has publicly called Youngkin “one of the great governors in our country,” according to comments cited by CNN.
It is unclear when any replacement of Noem would happen. Any replacement of the Homeland Security Secretary would have to face confirmation from a majority of the United States Senate.
